Paul Petersen was sentenced for his role in an international smuggling scheme trafficking pregnant women from the Marshall Islands to the U.S. for the purpose of having their babies adopted.
As pregnant women and their doctors consider how the COVID-19 crisis is affecting pregnancy and care, maternity wards across the country are reconsidering policies on deliveries and visitors.
Attorneys for the organization say vulnerable populations are supposed to be excluded from the groups of asylum-seekers being sent back to Mexico to wait for their U.S. immigration court hearings.
Pregnant women at high or even moderate risk of developing the life-threatening condition preeclampsia should consider taking a very small dose of aspirin daily to prevent it, doctors say.
Many people don't know which shots they need as they get older. And the vaccines can be tougher to keep track of because many adults go to the doctor less frequently than kids do.
Pregnant women in intensive care with severe cases of the flu have a higher risk of giving birth to babies prematurely. The risk of breathing problems for the baby is also substantially higher.
To protect a developing fetus from experimental drugs or treatments that might cause birth defects, pregnant women aren't included in many clinical trials. But that limits the safety evidence, too.
As illegal meth use has made a comeback across the U.S., pregnant women have not been spared, doctors say. New research shows rural areas in the South, Midwest and West have been hit hardest.
Physicians are urged to identify which pregnant women and new mothers are at high risk of depression and refer them to talk therapy before they show worsening symptoms.
Adults in a growing number of states can now legally use marijuana without a doctor's prescription. But obstetricians worry pregnant women don't realize the drug could hurt their kids.
Researchers and physicians say a study suggesting a link between the flu vaccine and miscarriage in a limited population is cause for more research, not a reason to change vaccination recommendations.
NPR listeners had lots of questions after our story about diastasis recti, a medical condition of abdominal muscles that's common among new moms. Many wanted to know more about how to fix the problem.
South Carolina says it will contribute up to $7.5 million to help fund the expansion of the "Nurse-Family Partnership" in the state if the program can show it is improving pregnancy outcomes.
The vast majority of pregnant women in the U.S. say they plan to breast-feed, but aren't told that many new moms worldwide find it tricky. Being mentored the first weeks after birth can help a lot.
Cytomegalovirus is everywhere, and it usually doesn't make people sick. But if a woman gets infected while pregnant, in rare cases it can cause serious problems for the baby.
The Zika virus may have infected more than 1 million people in Puerto Rico, including thousands of pregnant women. Doctors are watching babies born to infected moms who don't show birth defects.
So far, health officials know of 37 confirmed cases of people who contracted Zika from mosquitoes in Miami. But computer models suggest the underlying outbreak in Miami is bigger — and spreading.
Federal health officials are cautioning pregnant travelers to avoid a Miami neighborhood where at least 14 cases of Zika have been traced to local mosquitoes. What about the rest of Florida?
Scientists tracked nearly 600 pregnant women in Colombia, who were reportedly infected with Zika during their third trimester. None of these women gave birth to a baby with apparent problems.
The medication is the only one available to prevent an infected pregnant woman from passing the disease to a fetus. Pfizer says the shortage should be over in July.
Mosquitoes infected with Zika haven't turned up along the U.S. Gulf Coast yet, but could thrive in the region's sultry summer weather. Pregnant women and their doctors are already taking precautions.
It's only a matter of time, Gov. Rick Scott figures, before the Zika virus shows up in Florida mosquitoes. He's called for increased spraying and other moves to keep Zika and other diseases in check.
